LOU REED,Punk god

Lou Reed's passing on October 27,2013 came as a shock to many rock fans young and old alike.Though there were several news about his failing health nobody would ever think that he would be gone too soon.

The arrival of modern rock in the 1960s that was led by none other than the Beatles had sprung different kinds of bands in its wake.A lot of people were experimenting,trying new things and a lot of different styles were being invented.The old rockabilly of the previous decade was swiftly passed on,though many of these groups couldn't be thankful enough for the artists before them who had started all these madness.

The 1960s saw all these garage bands bidding for territory and by the middle of that awesome decade, a different variety of styles went along as one individual can easily point out that rock music is reinventing itself during this time period,with an album being released almost every month,an album that no one has ever heard of,an album that will change your life forever.With modern rock in its infancy,some bands from that decade can be categorized as punk bands even before the term itself came into acceptance.The hippies,often called as "freaks" by non-believers were flower children loathed with peace,love and eternal brotherhood fueled by their love of weed,acid and other substances that were ready to be abused,thus,the massive experimentation and creativity soon followed.Bands like Moulty And The Barbarians and Crazy World Of Arthur Brown,to name a few,were way ahead of their time.

Another band from the sixties  in that category which continues to influence latter day rock groups in the decades that soon followed was The Velvet Underground. The group was founded by Reed along with bass player John Cale in 1965,though the band was somewhat short-lived, but like most of the Beatles' and the Rolling Stones' contemporaries in that decade,became one of the most influential and appealing bands of all time and space.

The Velvet's debut album was known at the time for its strange cover-with the picture of an unpeeled banana which was designed and produced by none other than Andy Warhol--an artist and filmmaker who got famous for designing the cover of Campbell's canned soups and for his most expensive paintings and artworks.

Cover of the Velvet Underground's debut album,1967

The album was noted not only for its strange cover but its music content as well.The album was credited to The Velvet Underground And Nico,the German model/singer whom the band had met and was invited to join in and sing on the album. Nico,whose real name is Christa Paffgen was rumored to be a lover of Reed's and several guys in the rock biz,namely,David Bowie,Brian Jones and Jim Morrison.Nico left the band and had a moderately successful solo career.She later died of a drug overdose while on holiday in Spain in 1988.

 One of the few people who became instant fans of the said album was the Beatles' manager Brian Epstein where an impromptu arrangement was done by none other than Danny Fields himself.Though Reed showed no interest,it could've been a great honor to be managed by the Beatles' manager and one could imagine what the Velvets' musical direction might've been if Epstein had managed them.Brian would go on to manage other bands including the short-lived rock group The Cyrkle whose name was spelled out by John Lennon.

Having charted but completely unassisted by radio airplay,the Velvets' music became the antithesis of whats going on in the late 1960s-lyrics of sadomasochism,oral sex,bisexuality and drag queens were most of the song's contents.The band had parted ways with Warhol and Nico after the much controversial debut.Their second album in 1968 White Light/White Heat became less popular commercially though it still remains a staple as far as  punk rock is concerned.The band eventually became a less interesting figure after Reed fired Cale from the group--John Cale,was said to be a classically trained pianist and viola player though he opted to trade his craftsmanship for a bass guitar and was said to be one of the geniuses the band has ever had when it comes to writing musically.However,the band's self-titled third album,fared well with the rock critics describing it somewhat more melodic compared with their earlier efforts.The Velvets disbanded in 1970 after one more album.

Lou Reed had a successful solo career though with his second album Transformer produced by his friend and mentor David Bowie.Like Bowie,Reed loved to write songs about bisexuality,mental illness,violence and darkness.A single Walk On The Wild Side became a hit on both sides of the Atlantic.Though Reed wasn't far to the music critics' wrath and much controversy as far as the music business is concerned, he later appalled everyone by releasing the useless,if not musically significant album called Metal Machine Music in 1975,it consisted of avant garde noise of feedbacks and metallic drones that had similarities  to John Lennon's debut album in 1968 called Two Virgins ..Copies were said to have been returned in droves and his label RCA was forced to issue a public apology.Though Reed himself defended the album in all terms,saying that his album  is so close to absolute perfection.Nevertheless,Reed's live performances were also noted for its shock tactics fueled by booze and drugs that would later be followed by bands like the Sex Pistols.

The controversies didn't stop there and Reed continued to release more solo albums throughout the 80s and 90s.His last was a joint effort with Metallica entitled Lulu released in 2011.The album was critically acclaimed though it didn't fare well much commercially.In early 2013 Reed had undergone liver transplant and was said to be on the verge of recovery,but somehow things were not as it seems to be.Several eulogies and tributes were made after his passing,and one of them came from John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono who was a close friend of Reed's.Ono described Reed's music as full of anger and yet remembered him as a warm,talented, and beautiful person.





(c) Keith Vernon Adagio

GRAM PARSONS:ROCK & ROLL MARTYR

Gram Parsons is famous for being one of the first persons who have fused country and rock music in the same blend that Chicago and Frank Zappa shaped the jazz-rock genre.

Many considered Parsons as one of the few "lesser mortals" in the industry  who fell while their respective careers were just starting to boom.Like other people in the music biz,he indulged into drugs but somehow his body didn't seem to respond pretty well the way his friend Keith Richards did. Some of his albums if not critically acclaimed,were commercially disastrous but nevertheless his charisma and influence to latter-day bands like the Eagles is evident.Parsons somehow came into a status where hit singles didn't matter coz just like any other artists from the sixties,he catapulted into rock sainthood even after his death.


His work as a member of the Byrds on the band's 1968 album Sweetheart Of The Rodeo is very much impressive and the term country rock which was never heard before at the time first came into use.Just like Parsons' later efforts,the album wasn't that much of a commercial success but it did made a blueprint and landmark on the genre--a trend that was continued by other bands that would soon follow their footsteps namely Lynyrd Skynyrd, Kansas and the other band mentioned here before-the commercially successful Eagles.

The Byrds' 1968 album Sweetheart Of The Rodeo

Parsons' career as well as his life compared to the others is relatively short,for a man who was born Cecil Ingram Connor III in Florida in 1946,he got inspired by Elvis Presley during his teens,and then played with amateur bands in school and one serious gig with another band in the mid-sixties with no commercial success.He adopted his stepfather's surname and became the Gram Parsons we all know today.He got the attention of the rock n' roll business when he joined the Byrds and became an active contributor on the band's now legendary album.A short stint with the band regarding contract issues prompted him to form another group called The Flying Burrito Brothers.

He made a long term friendship with Keith Richards and was at this point accompanying the Rolling Stones on every gig during the band's 1969 US tour.His band,the Flying Burrito Brothers even opened for the Stones at the infamous Altamont concert during the winter of that same year.Perhaps he was eager for his own career to kickstart that he befriended Mick Jagger as well.Richards and Parsons crossed paths through a common friend and had shared a unique kind of friendship,sharing common interests such as the love for country music,love of drugs,women and all its indulgences.

The "common friend" mentioned here was none other than producer Phil Kaufman who got into fame by establishing himself as an executive nanny,chauffeur and concert promoter for the Rolling Stones.Kaufman would later make a huge impact on Parsons' life and even after his death.

Parsons(right) with Mick Jagger(left) and Keith Richards(center)

Parsons has been Keith Richards drinking buddy and whatever they were using in those days.Being described by music critics as the sad-voiced cowboy singer,he was noted to have lived with Richards at his house in Paris during the time the Stones were on their tax exile.A 1972 double album inspired by such event was released and was hailed by rock music journalists as one of the greatest rock albums of all time. 

Gram Parsons:country rock pioneer

Eventually,Parsons was said to have been banished in the house by Anita Pallenberg-Richards' long time live-in partner.He returned to the US and toured with the Burritos for a while.By the time the group had disbanded,Parsons made a few solo albums with little to no commercial success.It was during a promotional gig of one of his solo LPs that he became frail and unreliable.

The excessive drug intake had obviously took toll on his immune system that he died of an overdose in 1973 at a young age of 26.It was said that even before the time of his death,Parsons was still struggling for his solo career to be commercially successful.

Meanwhile,Phil Kaufman who also got famous by producing Charles Manson's 1970 album LIE,hi-jacked Parsons' body at the Los Angeles airport where it was about to be shipped to Louisiana for its intended burial there.In a later-mentioned mutual agreement,Kaufman was said to be drunk as hell when he poured gasoline on Parsons' coffin and burned his friend down to 'cremate' him.

Today,the site where Parsons' body was burned by Kaufman was marked with a stone and was visited by rock fans from all over.Though the National Park Service doesn't duly recognize the site as an official rock n' roll shrine despite of its sacredness uttered by loyal fans,the Joshua Tree,California landmark and memorial was marked with stones and several grafittis that would make it worthwhile for fans to visit.

And certainly Gram Parsons had indeed left his mark on rock music.He may have struggled to reach enormous fame and his life may have been short,but little did he know,his legacy lived on and the trend he had left on the genre will be followed from one generation to another.

(c) Keith Vernon Adagio

RELATED LINKS:

Whats Elvis Real Stand On The Fab Four?

Keith Richards:The Riffing Guv'nor

CLAPTON ON THE VERGE OF RETIRING

A statement recently posted on his facebook page saw Eric Clapton cancelling his shows in Vienna,Austria and  Stuttgart,Germany because of severe back pain.His page further added that Clapton is with a team of specialists determining the course of his treatment.

Eric Clapton has been mesmerizing crowds as a guitar god for the last 50 years starting off as a member of the Yardbirds in 1963.Clapton stayed for two years with the band and then left the group when he felt unhappy about the musical direction the band was taking as they slowly drifted away from the traditional blues outfit.He joined John Mayall's Bluesbreakers in 1965 and released one album with the group.Having been a blues purist himself,he formed Cream in 1966 and established the sound that would later shape both hard rock and heavy metal.Cream  released four albums that has inspired many latter day bands to explore the power trio format-bands in the 90s such as Nirvana and Green Day were obviously influenced by Clapton,Bruce and Baker teamup as they do the guitar-bass-drums mix up, having no rhythm guitar and just the bass player assisting and doubling the riff of the lead guitarist.He formed and played with various bands most notably Blind Faith and Derek And The Dominoes in the late 60s and early 70s becoming one of the most sought after guitar player both as a session musician and on live concert acts.He had launched a successful solo career that has spanned from the mid 1970s up to the present.

The statement on his facebook page goes:

"Unfortunately Eric Clapton has had to cancel his concerts in Vienna, Austria and Stuttgart, Germany on his current tour due to severe back pain. He is currently with specialists who will be able to better determine the course of treatment.

He was looking forward to these concerts and regrets that he is not to be able to perform for the fans. He would like to apologize for any inconveniences these cancellations may cause and would like to thank the fans for their understanding. All tickets can be returned to the Box Offices for refund."

 About  two months before he cancelled his recent shows,Clapton expressed his thoughts of retiring by the time he reached the age of 70.Though not entirely quitting from playing gigs,he once told the music press that he'll be doing shows mostly in his hometown in England and would no longer tour by then.One such reason he is citing was his overgrown tiredness of the airport customs and security checks in which he said  he couldn't handle anymore.


  (c) Keith Vernon Adagio


Check out my tribute blog about Eric Clapton:

Is Eric Clapton The Sixth Beatle?

JIMI HENDRIX:Keeping the flame burning!

It was 1967 at the Monterey Pop Festival and the Jimi Hendrix Experience just made their US debut in which they defined the event as ebullient,loud and colourful.Hendrix has just finished playing their own rendition of "Wild Thing" (originally by the Troggs)  and much to everyone's surprise,Jimi knelt down before the sacred instrument,poured some lighter fluid and set fire on it.He by then,destroyed the guitar afterwards.

It took a while for Jimi Hendrix to convince the American people that he was indeed one of them and not some English eccentric that has been bombarding the country since 1964 when the Beatles first stepped on US soil thus highlighting the rise of Beatlemania and the beginning of what would be a long term British Invasion of the United States.

James Marshall Hendrix was born in Seattle,Washington on November 27,1942,long before the city became one of rock music's sacred places.As a child,his left handedness was already noticed that he had to put the guitar upside down to be able to play it.After a brief spell in the army as a paratrooper where he was discharged because of a certain back injury,he drifted off from club to club and from one band to another,playing guitar on who will ever notice him.

One particular band was called Jimmy James and The Blue Flames,they had played several gigs  in the Club au Go Go,where bands like the Rascals and the Doors have also hung out later on.Hendrix was then discovered by Chas Chandler,who is a former bass player for the Animals.Upon seeing Hendrix play,Chas thought that Hendrix's gifts would somewhat be appreciated in a smaller pond.He by then took him to London and got in touch with two English musicians: bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell,and thus the Jimi Hendrix Experience was soon formed.

Upon arriving in London in 1966,everyone was in awe with Jimi's guitar style that made the locals look pretty humble with their so-called craft.The band soon released their debut album Are You Experienced? in 1967 and was considered to be  one of the greatest hard rock albums ever produced even up to this day.

Songs like "Hey Joe","Purple Haze" swiftly became Hendrix's signature songs,hence,became the yardstick on how rock music is measured by its heaviness and thus became a prerequisite to every guitar school that taught advance skills on the instrument.

Hendrix became notorious in his live performances and for a while became the Who's rival on destroying these expensive hardware when he opened for the band in mid-1967.Pete Townshend was heard to be saying "he[Hendrix]totally blew us away".When the Beatles released Sgt Pepper in the summer of that same year,he opened his set at the Marquee with a version of the album's title track.Paul McCartney was said to be pleased with the tribute calling it "the most beautiful tribute he has ever heard of".McCartney,while we're on the subject,is actually the man responsible for having Jimi on the bill at the Monterey Pop Festival mentioned here before.It is a matter of question whether Linda Eastman[who later on became Mrs McCartney] had talked to Paul directly about Jimi as Hendrix was already friends with her [as she was a known rock photographer] even before she and McCartney met.

Following their successful US debut,the Jimi Hendrix Experience was booked to be an opening act for the Monkees' concert tour.The tandem however,was disastrous for the group as Monkees fans expressed their dislike over the band with parents even complaining that Hendrix's stage acts were vulgar.Nevertheless,the tour has gained publicity for Redding,Mitchell and Hendrix himself,igniting further curiosity and later on huge album sales for the band.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience

The band by then released their second album Axis:Bold As Love with its tracks remaining as  staples for budding rock guitarists of today.The album's engineer was Eddie Kramer who would also work later on with Led Zeppelin on their second album in 1969.

The third album however,would put Jimi and his group to the top of the charts and thus,into much controversy:the third album by the way was called Electric Ladyland where the music was far more adventurous,not to mention its lurid cover.The gatefold sleeve covering the original vinyl release is composed of several naked women of almost all races.The album went straight to number one in the charts in 1968,and an alternate cover however, was released in the US.45 years after its release,the album remains one of the most influential in rock music as it went to number one on the gatefold sleeves list on ultimate classic rock .

The original gatefold sleeve of Electric Ladyland

Problems with the group however started to rise regarding member rankings.Well,the Experience have always sounded to everyone as  a Jimi Hendrix solo with backing musicians,and yes,the truth is Redding and Mitchell never got any control over the material the band was playing.In the band's albums,Hendrix had always written and sung the songs and on Electric Ladyland,Hendrix was given an additional credit for "direction".Noel Redding,on the other hand,feeling more of a tea boy status,rebelled and the result was the breakup of the band-much to the disappointment of their fans.

Hendrix went on to form another band which he called Band Of Gypsies with  Billy Cox on bass and Buddy Miles on drums.The band performed only two concerts in which the second was stopped in the midway by the man himself.

Jimi Hendrix (photo:ABC News)

Even with a band or not,Hendrix has proven his prowess as a guitar god that would make him the smash hit of Woodstock in 1969.The three day event in which he highlighted his performance by playing a guitar rendition of America's sacred song-The Star Spangled Banner.It was rumored however that the applause that can be heard on the film was edited right in after Hendrix's performance of the national anthem.It was said that after Jimi had finished playing,the audience was stunned in catatonic silence,shocked on Hendrix's butchery of the song.As a writer who wasn't born yet during that time,I guess I will need to clear that rumor out especially from those people who were actually there.Were the people really shocked at Jimi's guitar rendition of the Star Spangled Banner? Or were they(the gossip writers at that time) just cashing in on some rumors that didn't even occur?


Its still a matter of an open verdict whether Jimi took his own life or not,but it was painfully clear that when he died in the early hours of September 18,1970,he took several tablets of sleeping pills contrary to the usual recommended dose of one half.Hendrix died in his sleep after inhaling his own vomit.Close friend Eric Burdon who was also the lead singer for the rock group the Animals was said to have got hold of a poem written by Hendrix days before he died which bore traces of a suicide note.

For a man with awesome prowess and unique guitar style,one can clearly say that no one has ever gone near to what Jimi Hendrix had achieved.Playing guitar with his teeth,on top of his shoulders and between his legs became the signature of the man who would later be crowned as one of the greatest guitar virtousos in the entire history of rock music.

Jimi's remains were flown back to Seattle where a funeral was held  and he was laid to rest at Greenwood Memorial Park in Renton,Washington-about 11 miles southeast of Seattle.Among his pallbearers were his former bandmates in the Experience Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell,jazz musician Miles Davis,and notable blues musicians John Hammond and Johnny Winter.He was buried in a small family plot and in 1999 was later transferred to a memorial built by his dad Al where his grandmother Nora and stepmother Ayako was also buried.His mother Lucille,who died in 1958 was buried not far from the memorial.A sad thing happened that the elder Hendrix never got to see the completion of the memorial he envisioned as far back as 1970,Al died in 2002 at the age of 82.

Jimi Hendrix Memorial Greenwood Memorial Park,Renton,WA

An estimated number of 14,000 people visit Hendrix's memorial every year most notably during Jimi's birthday November 27 and during christmastime according to his website.At the time of his death,Hendrix only managed to record and release four studio albums.A number of posthumous Hendrix projects have surfaced years after he passed away--with some of the recordings merely half finished and was either remixed or polished in the studio.

Several compilation albums also flooded the music market with Jimi's family keeping a tight grip on  his back catalogue after his dad Al spent years of court battle to gain control of his management and finances.While his former bandmates in the Experience were upset on how things went along with the copyright war-->a year before he passed way,Noel Redding mentioned in an interview of not having the slightest percentage he and Mitchell thinks they deserve on the copyright royalties and how sad they were that they weren't given the credits they think they deserve as Jimi's dad Al took full control of his late son's estate.

Sadly,both his bandmates in the Experience has joined up with him in the afterlife as well.Noel Redding died in 2003 of complications from cirrhosis of the liver while drummer Mitch Mitchell passed away in 2008.

However,the latest effort of Jimi from beyond the grave was People,Hell And Angels released on May 5,2013--making Hendrix far from being obsolete.The album contains unreleased tracks Jimi has planned to release after the much success of Electric Ladyland.

People,Hell And Angels peaked at number two on the charts and has earned new generations of young Hendrix fans from all over.

Hendrix's posthumous 2013 album People Hell And Angels

Most of the bands and artists from the 1960s have brilliantly left their mark on rock music as their style and unique interpretation of their finest craft continues to amaze people even those who weren't born yet during this much noted cultural revolution in the entire history of rock genre.

As Jimi's guitar burns in that very stage of  the Monterey Pop Festival,his flame as virtuoso continues to burn as well.


(c) Keith Vernon Adagio

REMEMBERING RAY.....

The music industry is currently mourning the loss of one of its gems.Ray Manzarek,keyboardist and founding member of the Doors has just passed away at age 74.

Ray Manzarek,aside from lead singer Jim Morrison, is considered to be the "soul" of the band.His keyboard playing were pretty hypnotic and way ahead of his time-alas,he made his signature riff and will always be remembered as one of the unique sounds of psychedelic rock.

Ray met his future bandmate and lead singer Jim Morrison  
while studying cinematography in UCLA,they both ran each other off after they had graduated and Ray took time to listen to Jim's poems in which he described as the greatest lyrics he has ever heard.

With the addition of Robbie Krieger on guitar and John Densmore on drums--the Doors went ahead.With a record contract signed with Elektra Records,the Doors released their debut album with much success.

The Doors l-r:Manzarek,Densmore,Morrison and Krieger

One would argue that Manzarek's signature riff on "Light My Fire" is one of the greatest keyboard riffs in rock music and is hailed as one of the great classic rock hits ever to come out in the last fifty years.

The Doors became notorious in the mid sixties as their concerts and lyrics became more and more adventurous,riots became common in most of the band's live performances.With Morrison,who slowly transformed from being a guy- next-door type to a pudgy drunk,he became noted for raising hell onstage,as the few mindless and drugged out kids were provoked to "roll up! roll up! come and see the freaks" dilemma.

The band released more albums with equal success as their concerts become more and more dangerous that urged several city officials to ban them from doing further live shows.

Ray Manzarek and Jim Morrison

When Jim died of a drug overdose in Paris,Manzarek continued to be active in the music industry releasing several unreleased and unheard Doors material in which most were taken from their previous sessions when Jim Morrison was alive but never saw the light of the day.


Manzarek also released several solo albums like The Golden Scarab released in 1973 that was to be followed by 1974's  The Whole Thing Started With Rock & Roll Now Its Out of Control.

 The Doors were inducted to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1993, Manzarek along with Krieger and Densmore happily received their statuettes.

In 2001,Manzarek and former Doors guitarist Robbie Krieger decided to reunite and tour once again as the Doors minus drummer John Densmore-who turned out to have feuded with the two of them for years.The band was christened The Doors of the 21st Century: filling in for the late Jim Morrison is Ian Astbury of the Cult,with Stewart Copeland (former member of the Police) on drums and Angelo Barbera on bass.The Doors in the 1960s never had a bass player-they always had to rely on Manzarek's keyboard and foot pump to fill in for the bass part,so the addition of a bass player for this group has been a surprise for most of the Doors' fans.

The band toured for a while but not for long,former bandmate John Densmore filed a lawsuit against Manzarek and Krieger for using the Doors name and thus declared himself entitled for that name as well.The result was that the band had changed its name to Riders Of The Storm taking it from one signature song recorded by them.They changed their name again to Manzarek-Krieger hereby forming a duo with a backing band.

Manzarek was portrayed by actor Kyle McLachlan in the 1991 biopic "The Doors" written and directed by Oliver Stone.

 Manzarek died on May 20,2013 after a long battle with bile duct cancer.

Ray Manzarek may be gone but his legacy lives on,that haunting sound on "Light My Fire" and "Hello I Love You" will always remain in the hearts of anyone who'll put in a Doors CD and furthermore to every kid curious enough to explore the power and mystery of rock music.

Ray Manzarek playing keyboard with the Doors 1967

(c) Keith Vernon Adagio

Mick Taylor re-joins the Stones

Mick Taylor did joined his former bandmates onstage that started as early as December 2012 in Atlantic City,NJ appearing as a guest guitarist on "Midnight Rambler".Taylor played more gigs with the Stones on their 2013 US tour,appearing along  with other guests like Gwen Stefani in Los Angeles and Tom Waits and the San Jose State University Choralle in Oakland.

The Rolling Stones were currently on their 50 And Counting Tour with dates on US and Canada.

Video of  Mick Taylor performing "Midnight Rambler" with the Rolling Stones

(c) Keith Vernon Adagio

DEAR OZZY.......

In the crazy world of rock music,no other character exists like Ozzy Osbourne.He was the man who had put the flare vocals to Black Sabbath and became a millionaire through his nasal singing voice.

Ozzy is known to be THE MAN WHO EATS WHATEVER YOU CARE TO THROW AT HIM.Eversince "the bat incident" kids were  carrying huge chunks of raw meat and other dead animals at his concerts that got the nerves of most of the ladies at the PMRC.The incident,while we're on the subject,happened in 1982,when one teenage fellow threw the bat onstage and Ozzy,thinking it was only a rubber bat,sank his teeth right into it.As a result,he had to be treated with various rabies shots after the show.

His wild antics were legendary.It was said that he was banned for a while when he bit the head of a dove during a meeting with CBS Records executives.Highly intoxicated,the doves were originally intended to be set free as a sign of peace.

Even before he became "Ozzy" as we all know him today,he already had the proficiency of separating animals from their heads--thanks to a brief stint at the abattoir where he spent some time perfecting his act.

And then there was The Osbournes,a reality tv show featuring the domestic life of  heavy metal's finest godfather.Though not merely considered as a wholesome sitcom,it was one of the most viewed programs on MTV who produced it along with Sharon Osbourne--who is both Ozzy's wife and manager.

The Osbournes,photo courtesy of  MTV

The show highlights its main characters,Ozzy and Sharon along with their kids Jack and Kelly,with an older daughter Aimee refusing to participate.With the family constantly swearing and cursing,the bleeps used to censor it became the show's trademark as it turned out to be more of a comical sitcom rather than adult-oriented.Though some airings overseas were presented "as is" without any censorship from their respective networks as for MTV Canada,UK and Australia.

Funny enough,Ozzy himself looked more like a parkinson's patient rather than a rock star during the reality show's four season run.Perhaps his constant doping during the sixties and seventies has fried most of his brain's meninges which resulted to his slurred speech.

Though the show garnered a cult following,many critics expressed their disgust,with some people getting offended with the show's nature highlighting Ozzy's kids cursing their own parents.The final episode was aired in 2005 and it catapulted Ozzy's kids to stardom with Kelly Osbourne launching her own singing career.Sharon,on the other hand,had her own talk show with a theme similar to that of Sally Jesse Raphael's.

I first got to hear Ozzy Osbourne through my dad with those old Black Sabbath albums when I was a child back in the late 80s and early 90s without even knowing that he was the man behind that strange voice.The time I was also first getting into the Beatles and rock music.

I get to know more about him in the 90s upon listening to one tribute album for the Sabs.Not to mention his solo albums No More Tears and Ozzmosis which at the time were smash hits.And looking back to one awesome blast from the past,his debut solo album Blizzard Of Ozz.

Ozzy's connection with the fab four wasn't a secret and he has mentioned several times on books and interviews that he is,in fact,a huge Beatles fan.And even remembering the day hearing "She Loves You"  for the first time prompted him to get into the music scene.

He even made a tribute to John Lennon in 2010 by covering the song "How?" with a beautiful music video showing his sweet side,far from the bat biting he became notorious for decades earlier.

His publicity stunts were almost mythical and his cancer awareness proved that he was more than just a heavy metal hero,but a philantropist who screams for a good cause[His wife Sharon was a noted cancer survivor].Caught urinating in the Alamo by an outraged local,he was banned from the sacred Texan landmark for a while and caused him a few thousand dollars fine plus community service.

Sharon Osbourne/photo E! online

Ozzy has always mentioned that he can never be thankful enough for his wife Sharon,whom he had always referred to as the person who saved his life.She was the daughter of gargantuan producer Don Arden,whose label Roadrunner Records gave him a chance to audition during the difficult time that he was booted out of Black Sabbath.As a result,his solo career was enormous and his success came instantly with huge album sales.

The death of his guitarist and friend Randy Rhoads has caused Osbourne to spiral downwards once again as he painfully remembers that day seeing his friend's plane explode into smithereens.On one interview,he said that he never got over the death of his friend Randy and will always cherish his memories of him for as long as he live.

Ozzy's nightmare wasn't over yet when the parents of John McCollum sued him for being responsible over their son's apparent death.It was said that the teenage boy took his own life after listening repeatedly to one of Ozzy's songs called "Suicide Solution".The case was dismissed with the judge and jury all siding in Ozzy's favor.

Randy Rhoads/Starpulse

Ozzy may have been  a menace to other people but believe it or not,the prince of f**ckin' darkness definitely has a gentle side.He found another friend and ally-a Japanese boy by the name of Yuto Miyazawa,who at the age of 10 can eventually pull off the guitar riffs of both Randy Rhoads and Zakk Wylde combined.He met the boy at Ellen Degeneres' show and has been playing with most of his gigs since.Miyazawa,was a youtube sensation and has been playing huge guitar riffs by Black Sabbath even before he met Ozzy.

Ozzy Osbourne with Japanese guitar prodigy Yuto Miyazawa

Japanese boy wonder Yuto Miyazawa

2012 saw Ozzy Osbourne announcing that he is retiring from the music business after two more albums.With the life he had and the fame and richest he earned from it,his life is almost content.Perhaps he wanted to do something on his own as he face the dawn of his life or not at all as he might still change his mind and continue rocking with us.Well,lets face it,everybody gets old and Ozzy's got one hell of a past and I guess he just wants to leave something for himself-the scrapbook of his life,one can quickly dub as the Diary Of A Madman,taken from one of his solo albums.

Music is not an easy thing to give up,but in the meantime,pack your stuff and off we go to the Ozzfest!

(c) Keith Vernon Adagio